Cash worth Rs 2.32 crore seized from govt officer's residences in Assam

Guwahati, July 22 (IANS) The vigilance wing of Assam Police seized cash more than Rs 2.32 crore during the raids from the residences of a senior government officer posted in the Dhubri district of the state, officials said on Saturday.

Sleuths of the vigilance wing found the cash in possession of Biswajit Goswami, an Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer posted as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Dhubri Zila Parishad office.

An officer of the vigilance cell told IANS, “Goswami demanded a bribe from a complainant who approached the appropriate authority to raise a grievance. Accordingly, a trap was laid on Friday evening by a team of vigilance and anti-corruption wing officers in the office of CEO Zila Parishad in Dhubri.”

“Mrinal Kanti Sarkar posted as additional district programme manager in Dhubri was caught red handed in the office chamber of the CEO Zila Parishad immediately after he accepted Rs 30,000 as part of demanded bribe from the complainant, according to the instruction of Biswajit Goswami,” the officer added.

Both Goswami and Sarkar were arrested.

Meanwhile, later during a raid, Rs 1.69 lakh was recovered from Goswami’s official residence in Dhubri while more than Rs 2.31 crore was seized from the officer’s house in Bongaigaon.

“A total of Rs 2,32,85,300 was recovered from the office and two residences of Biswajit Goswami. A number of documents relating to purchase of properties, multiple bank accounts, other investments etc have been seized,” the official said.

The raid lasted the whole night and multiple counting machines were used to sort the currency recovered. Cases under relevant sections against the two officers have been registered.